The diagram shows 3 identical circles inside a rectangle - Edexcel - GCSE Maths - Question 21 - 2017 - Paper 2
Question 21
The diagram shows 3 identical circles inside a rectangle. Each circle touches the other two circles and the sides of the rectangle, as shown in the diagram.
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Worked Solution & Example Answer:The diagram shows 3 identical circles inside a rectangle - Edexcel - GCSE Maths - Question 21 - 2017 - Paper 2
Step 1
Work out the length of the rectangle
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Answer
The length of the rectangle can be determined by considering the diameters of two circles aligned horizontally. The radius of each circle is 24 mm, hence the diameter is:
extDiameter=2imesextradius=2imes24=48extmm
Since there are two circles, the total length is:
extLength=2imes48=96extmm
Step 2
Work out the height of the rectangle
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Answer
The height of the rectangle is determined by the vertical diameter of the middle circle. Since the radius is 24 mm, the height is given by:
extHeight=2imesextradius=2imes24=48extmm
Step 3
Calculate the area of the rectangle
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Answer
Now, using the formula for the area of a rectangle, we have: